The Reprecussions of Truth
by KateInSpace
Summary: Bill and Laura discuss the virtue of truth after Lee reveals the return of Laura's cancer.


"If it wasn't Lee it would have been someone else. We knew the information would leak soon, we were just hoping to have a little more control over it."

"But it wasn't someone else, it was Lee, it was my son, your Captain Motherfrakking Apollo." Bill slammed his hand down on the table between them, startling Laura.

She put down her wine glass and reached across the table and put her hands around his fist, gently holding it in her hands and silently pleading with him to look her in the eyes. "I know. Gods I know, Bill. And I won't pretend that his betrayal didn't hurt, because it did. But he wasn't doing it to be malicious, he was doing it because it's what he thought was right. He thought that by revealing the truth he was preserving the ideals the Colonies were founded on." Laura let go of his hand and took up her glass again, casually holding it up to the light to watch the light reflect around the rim.

After a pause and a small, defeated laugh Bill replied, "You know you're in deep shit when your enemies can use the truth against you."

"They've always been able to use the truth against us, we've just never given them the opportunity before. We've done what we had to do to survive, you of all people know that. We've made calculated risks, we've made mistakes, but there are 40,000 people out there whose lives I wouldn't endanger purely for the sake of a clean conscience. If the cost of the survival of humanity is for me to have the burden of sin for the tough decisions on my soul, then so be it, Bill, I'm willing to live with that."

Laura downed the rest of the wine in her glass and continued. "Lee underestimates the number of people those decisions saved and the destruction that was avoided because of them. If the Olympic Carrier was allowed to rejoin the Fleet they could have set a collision course straight for Galactica and destroyed the heart of the Fleet. If I hadn't supported mutiny on your ship and sent Kara to find the Arrow of Apollo we wouldn't have found the Tomb of Athena. I'm not saying everything we did was right or that the ends always justified the means, but when it came time to roll the hard six we picked up the dice and prayed for the best, and by the grace of the gods we are still alive to debate about it."

Bill stared at Laura, sighed, finished his wine, and poured them some more. "Lee has spent most of his adult life resenting me for things I've done. When he first came aboard the Galactica for the decommissioning ceremony I hadn't seen him in two years, not since Zak's funeral. He lectured me then about my failings as a father, and he still isn't shy about letting me know how he feels regarding my shortcomings, and that's fine, I deserve a lot of that. But for him to attack you, Laura, to break your confidence in him, is inexcusable. I don't know if I'll be able to look him in the eye again, let alone reconcile with him as a family."

Laura stood up and walked to stand behind him. She began to massage his shoulders and neck, hoping to release the tension and strain that had built up since his son was on the witness stand earlier that day.

"I know you're furious with him right now and I would be lying to you if I said I haven't pictured him on the wrong side of an airlock, but he's your son, Bill. And somewhere under the facade of a lawyer is your little boy and my Captain Apollo, and this fleet is going to need him someday, you're going to need him someday. But in the meantime, I wouldn't mind putting him in a boxing ring with you and watching him hurt a little."

Bill grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She giggled, surprised by his affection, and put her arms around his neck.

"Maybe I'll have the crew arrange another dance once the trial is finished."

"Only if you let me know about it this time! I want to be there to watch the main event."

"We've already discussed this, no more secrets between us, that includes information about Galactica's social calendar. Not to mention that I'll want you in my corner."

He began to slowly rub circles on her lower back and she lifted her eyes to meet his and the mood in the room instantly changed from playful to romantic. Their exchanged glance said more about the constant support and unconditional commitment they had for each other than any platitude or word of comfort they could have spoken.

If the silence and impassioned glance had continued longer it would have demanded more intimacy than they allowed themselves, regardless of how much they wanted it. Laura got up and took the two wine glasses to the sink and began washing them while Bill stood up and took his dress grey jacket that had long since been discarded on the back of his chair to hang up in the locker.

"Dee stopped by earlier. She wanted me to know that she's leaving him. Their marriage is over."

"I would say that I'm sorry, but she really deserves better," she called over her shoulder.

"Yeah, she does."

Laura turned the water off and walked to the couch where her jacket and shoes had been left and slipped her heels on. "I'm going to go. Tomorrow looks like it will be as long and challenging as today was and Cottle will kill me before the cancer does if I don't get enough rest." She walked over to the hatch and slipped her jacket on. "Thank you for the wine and hospitality, Admiral."

Bill walked over to the hatch and had his hand on the handle, ready to open it for her. "I'll call you later."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Bill started opening the hatch but Laura put a hand on his arm to still him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. He quickly put his arms around her too, not wanting to let her go and wanting to give her all the strength he had so that she could fight the cancer and the demons in the courtroom one more day. She slowly backed away and he opened the hatch that she stepped through.

"Have a safe trip back, Madam President."

She turned around one last time and gave him one of the smiles that was reserved solely for him. "Yes sir."


End file.
